Reflect Reconciliation Action PlanJ U N E 2 0 1 8 – 2 0 1 9

© Commonwealth of Australia 2018 Published by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority ISBN 9780648096542

This document is licensed by the Commonwealth of Australia for use under a Creative Commons By Attribution 4.0 International licence with the exception of the Coat of Arms of the Commonwealth of Australia, the logo of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, any other material protected by a trademark, content supplied by third parties and any photographs. For licence conditions see: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0

While all efforts have been made to verify facts, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority takes no responsibility for the accuracy of information supplied in this publication.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this publication contains names and images of deceased persons. Readers of this report should be aware that, in some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, seeing images of deceased persons in photographs may cause sadness or distress, and in some cases, offend against strongly held cultural prohibitions.

This publication should be cited as: Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority 2018, Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan: June 2018-2019, GBRMPA, Townsville.

Comments and questions regarding this document are welcome and should be addressed to: Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority 2–68 Flinders Street (PO Box 1379) Townsville QLD 4810, Australia

Phone: (07) 4750 0700 Fax: (07) 4772 6093 Email: info@gbrmpa.gov.au gbrmpa.gov.au

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority acknowledges the continuing sea country management and custodianship of the Great Barrier Reef by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Traditional Owners whose rich cultures, heritage values, enduring connections and shared efforts protect the Reef for future generations.

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A message from the Chairperson

I am delighted to present the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s first Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP or Plan).The Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan is a demonstration of our commitment to strengthen relationships, respect and opportunities between our staff who identify as First Australians and the wider Australian community.

We commit ourselves as an organisation to the initiatives and targets presented in our RAP. In doing so, we will become better engaged, aware, informed and culturally competent.

Crucially, we will also improve protection of the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef is iconic and our staff are at the heart of the effort to manage and preserve this globally-significant ecosystem. To be effective managers, we need to respect, engage through meaningful relationships, and give opportunity to the Great Barrier Reef’s Traditional Owners to safeguard this international icon for generations to come.

While this inaugural RAP signifies the formal beginning of the Authority’s journey to reconciliation, it builds on more than 40 years of previous experience and initiatives. This document is intended to reflect on our progress so far and forge a path forward to strengthen

relational foundations of respect, opportunity, engagement and education. We recognise that we will continue to learn along the way and will need to refresh our Plan to ensure the Authority achieves real, progressive and lasting results. We will continually raise awareness on reconciliation commitments by promoting the Plan to staff, and provide opportunities to engage in reconciliation activities.

To advance reconciliation, I encourage each of us — as part of our efforts to understand each other more deeply — to implement our Reflect RAP.

Dr Russell Reichelt Chairperson

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A message from the BoardWe the Marine Park Authority Board acknowledge and pay respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and to the rich tapestry of culture and connection that they have to the Great Barrier Reef and its supporting ecosystems. We recognise that establishing effective and meaningful partnerships with Traditional Owners is essential to protect cultural and heritage values, conserve biodiversity and enhance the resilience of the Great Barrier Reef. We commend the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority for encouraging staff to talk about issues and come up with innovative ways to create positive change as they walk together on their journey of reconciliation.

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A message from Reconciliation Australia

Reconciliation Australia is delighted to welcome the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority to the Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) program and to formally endorse its inaugural Reflect RAP.

As a member of the RAP community, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority joins over 1,000 dedicated corporate, government, and not-for-profit organisations that have formally committed to reconciliation through the RAP program since its inception in 2006. RAP organisations across Australia are turning good intentions into positive actions, helping to build higher trust, lower prejudice, and increase pride in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Reconciliation is no one single issue or agenda. Based on international research and benchmarking, Reconciliation Australia defines and measures reconciliation through five critical dimensions: race relations; equality and equity, institutional integrity; unity; and historical acceptance. All sections of the community—governments, civil society, the private sector, and Aboriginal and Strait Islander communities—have a role to play to progress these dimensions.

The RAP program provides a framework for organisations to advance reconciliation within their spheres of influence. This Reflect RAP provides the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority a roadmap to begin its reconciliation journey. Through implementing

a Reflect RAP, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority will lay the foundations for future RAPs and reconciliation initiatives.

We wish the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority well as it takes these first critical steps in its reconciliation journey. We encourage the organisation to embrace this journey with open hearts and minds, to grow from the challenges, and to build on the successes. As the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation reminded the nation in its final report:

“Reconciliation is hard work—it’s a long, winding and corrugated road, not a broad, paved highway. Determination and effort at all levels of government and in all sections of the community will be essential to make reconciliation a reality.”

On behalf of Reconciliation Australia, I commend the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority on its first RAP, and look forward to following its ongoing reconciliation journey.

Karen Mundine Chief Executive Officer, Reconciliation Australia

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A message from the RAP Champion

As the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s Reconciliation Action Plan Champion, I am pleased to have been part of this important step in our reconciliation journey. Our first Reconciliation Action Plan is about reinforcing our commitment to real actions.

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority is proud of its partnerships with Traditional Owners and of the opportunities provided to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to protect their sea country. The Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan is an initial step to give our Authority the time and opportunity to raise awareness and support for further developing our reconciliation program.

During the development of this Plan we consulted and provided the opportunity for staff to contribute through workshops, circulating a reconciliation questionnaire for input and conferring with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff. The Reconciliation Action Plan

Working Group has incorporated many ideas into this Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan.

Our Plan strengthens the Authority’s important relationship with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. All of us will continue to have a relevant role in creating meaningful relationships between non-Indigenous people and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. I encourage everyone to help our workplace to facilitate understanding, and promote meaningful engagement to contribute to achieving reconciliation.

Dr Simon Banks General Manager, Reef Protection

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Our businessThe Great Barrier Reef is a spectacular natural and cultural treasure and there is nowhere else like it on Earth. As a World Heritage Area, it is internationally acclaimed and recognised for its outstanding universal value. It is a place of great significance to its Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Traditional Owners who have a unique and continuing connection to their sea country and the traditional resources contained within it. This icon is important to all Australians for their livelihoods, their lifestyles and for the strong sense of pride and responsibility it inspires.

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (the Authority) is the Australian Government statutory authority established under the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975. Since this time, the Authority’s objective has been the long-term protection and conservation of the environment, biodiversity and heritage values of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (Marine Park). A variety of management tools are used to do this: legislation, policies and guidelines, zoning and management plans, education, community engagement, and compliance. The Authority is also responsible for the Australian Government’s national education centre, Reef HQ; the world’s largest living coral reef aquarium for the Great Barrier Reef, which has welcomed more than 3.5 million visitors since opening 30 years ago in Townsville.

The work of the Authority in managing the Marine Park is recognised as world-leading and has set a benchmark for its future efforts. We recognise our responsibility to share four decades of experience and expertise

and to be a driver of positive change and excellence in global marine-protected area management. The Authority is also actively engaged in working with the World Heritage Committee and its advisory bodies to support the Australian Government’s obligations under the World Heritage Convention.

The Authority works closely in partnership with many organisations, including the Queensland Government. Out on the water, the Authority and the Queensland Government — through the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service — operate a joint Field Management Program for the marine and island national parks; conservation and monitoring, responding to incidents, welcoming visitors and upholding compliance.

The Authority works in close partnerships with Traditional Owners and acknowledges their continuing social, cultural, economic and spiritual connections to the Great Barrier Reef for tens of thousands of years. There are more than 70 Traditional Owner clan groups whose sea country and islands are located within the boundaries of the Marine Park.

A most significant partnership is the Land and Sea Country Partnerships Program, which delivers effective on-ground management at a local level to manage and protect the Reef’s marine resources, coastal ecosystems and cultural diversity, as part of the Australian Government’s broader Reef Programme. Our work with Traditional Owner groups, for example, through the development

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of Traditional Use of Marine Resources Agreements, is important. These agreements describe how individual Traditional Owner groups wish to manage traditional use of marine resources in their sea country areas.

The Authority has more than 200 full-time employed staff. Of this, 10 identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, which equates to five per cent of our workforce. The majority of employees are located in Townsville, but there are also staff located in regional offices in Cairns, Mackay, Rockhampton, Brisbane and Canberra. The Australian Public Service’s target for employment of people that identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander is three per cent by 2018. National parity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is 2.5 per cent. However, the population of people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander is as high as 10 per cent within the Great Barrier Reef catchment.

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Our Reconciliation Action PlanThe Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority developed a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) to translate the Authority’s values into practical and intentional actions that will actively contribute to reconciliation within the Authority and with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. The Authority seeks to build a supportive environment for all staff to ensure they feel respected and valued. This RAP provides the framework in which to deliberately set reconciliation actions within the Authority.

The Authority has been considering the development of its RAP for several years and the matter has been previously referred to the Marine Park Authority (MPA) Board and the Indigenous Reef Advisory Committee (IRAC) for consideration.

The Authority has a strong and ongoing commitment to reconciliation. This is demonstrated currently by:

• Nine Traditional Use of Marine Resources Agreements and one Indigenous Land Use Agreement are currently in place covering about 25 per cent of the Marine Park coastline

• Targets in the Authority’s annual operating plan to improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander training, employment, engagement and the number of TUMRAs

• Traditional Owner acknowledgment in the Authority’s standard email signature block and on presentation templates

• A project underway to better collect, store and use Traditional Owner knowledge in management decisions

• Employment of between four per cent and 6.5 per cent of staff members identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander over the past decade, compared with 3.6 per cent of the Queensland population and 7.1 per cent of the Townsville population (2011 census)

• Dedicated Indigenous compliance officers

• Reef HQ Great Barrier Reef Aquarium has achieved and maintained Respecting Our Culture (ROC) certification with Ecotourism Australia. The program encourages the tourism industry to operate in ways that respect and reinforce cultural heritage and the living cultures of communities. Continual improvement in this area is occurring in the aquarium through:

o Presentation of Traditional Owner values in a display. A review is also underway to incorporate Traditional Owner knowledge throughout many of the displays, rather than in a single display

o The aquarium gift shop is reviewing its suppliers to ensure merchandise comes from reputable (preferably local) suppliers who certify authenticity and provide evidence of licencing or copyright arrangements with artists.

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The Executive Management Group (EMG) at the Authority designated the role of the RAP Champion to the General Manager of Great Barrier Reef Operations to lead the RAP’s development in May 2016. The RAP Champion’s role is to lead the campaign to build foundations for relationships, respect and opportunities.

The RAP Champion’s first task involved inviting staff to volunteer their services and form the RAP Working Group. Twelve staff from across the Authority responded and formed the RAP Working Group. Terms of Reference were prepared and monthly meetings convened from June 2016 to June 2017. At these meetings, the RAP Working Group formed consensus on the actions to undertake to achieve the desired outcomes. The RAP Working Group’s role was to:

• Develop a draft Reflect RAP for EMG consideration

• Keep others in the Authority updated on progress and status of the Reflect RAP

• Once the Reflect RAP is finalised, oversee the implementation of the Reflect RAP’s actions and draft an Innovate RAP.

In order to involve all staff in the process to develop the RAP and to collate many views, an online survey determined the level of support to develop the RAP and what actions should be taken to advance reconciliation. The parameters of the online survey were developed through an initial scoping interview conducted in September 2016 with a small sample of staff, including RAP Working Group members. The survey was open to staff for input over a six-week period from December 2016 to January 2017, which resulted in 78 respondents, or approximately 40 per cent participation.

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Our reconciliation journey and achievementsThe Authority has implemented a number of reconciliation measures that it’s proud of. We acknowledge Traditional Owners through signage installed at each office and Reef HQ Great Barrier Reef Aquarium, on email signature blocks and within printed works where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artwork is used. The Marine Park Authority board expresses a Traditional Owner acknowledgement at their meetings, so too our staff when they deliver presentations. Desk flags are proudly displayed at the entrance to the aquarium, which attracts visitors from around Australia and the world. In 2002 and 2004, we conducted two unique training opportunities at Goold Island to increase our staff cultural awareness and understanding.

Some of the reconciliation achievements over the decades are provided throughout this RAP.

YEAR ACTION

1975 Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975 declared and states Authority will facilitate partnership with Traditional Owners in management of marine resources

1989 First Aboriginal member appointed on Great Barrier Reef Consultative Committee

1990 Sea Country newsletter launched in the Far Northern Section of the Marine Park

1992 First Aboriginal liaison officer appointed on staff

1993 Great Barrier Reef Region Community Ranger Program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rangers commences

1994 First Aboriginal trainee aquarist employed and major Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sea country display unveiled at Reef HQ Aquarium

1995 Indigenous Cultural Liaison Unit established

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Regulations 1983 amended to provide for cultural and heritage values to be considered when assessing permits

Cross-cultural awareness training, including on-country, offered to staff

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YEAR ACTION

1996 An Indigenous person with knowledge of, or experience concerning, Indigenous issues relating to the Marine Park was appointed as the fourth member to the Board of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority

Memorandum of Understanding declared with Darumbal-Noolar Murree Aboriginal Corporation regarding hunting of dugong in Shoalwater Bay

1998 Gumoo Woojabuddee Section declared in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

2002 Whitsundays, Hinchinbrook and Cairns Plans of Management amended to allocate specific marine tourism permits to provide opportunities for Indigenous participation in tourism

First staff Cultural Education Camp – Goold Island Field Trip

2003 Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning Plan established and includes provision for Traditional Use of Marine Resources Agreements and express acknowledgement that the Zoning Plan does not affect Native Title rights under s211 of the Native Title Act 1993

2005 First Traditional Use Marine Resource Agreement accredited

Story Place reference database established to share information and knowledge about Traditional Owners and their relationship with land and sea country in the Great Barrier Reef region

Provision of cross-cultural awareness courses for staff

2009 First Indigenous Reef Advisory Committee appointed

2010 Great Barrier Reef Traditional Owners reef-wide gather for the first time at a Sea Country Partnerships Forum held in Cairns

2012 Indigenous heritage reported on for the first time in the Outlook Report 2014

2016 Assessment Guideline for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage values developed for permit applicants

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RelationshipsACTION DELIVERABLE TIMELINE RESPONSIBILITY

1. Establish a RAP Working Group

• Form a RAP Working Group made up of executive level and other relevant staff that will have an important part to play in the delivery and implementation of the actions in the RAP

• Develop the operational framework and the Terms of Reference for the Working Group.

June 2018 RAP Champion

2. Build internal and external relationships

• Develop a list of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, communities and organisations within our local area or sphere of influence that we could approach to connect with on our reconciliation journey

• Approach local organisations that have developed a RAP to connect with on our reconciliation journey

• Promote and facilitate engagement between the RAP Working Group and the IRAC.

August 2018

Aligned with IRAC meetings

Director, Communications and Regional Engagement

Director, Education, Stewardship and Partnerships General Manager Reef Protection

3. Participate in and celebrate National Reconciliation Week (NRW)

• Circulate Reconciliation Australia’s NRW resources and reconciliation materials to our staff prior to the event

• The RAP Working Group to identify local NRW activities and encourage staff to attend.

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RAP Champion

4. Raise internal awareness of our RAP

• Develop and implement a communication plan to: o Raise awareness amongst all

staff across the organisation about our RAP commitments

o Inform staff of their responsibilities under the RAP

o Ensure staff are supported through the RAP implementation process.

December 2018

Director, Communications and Regional Engagement

5. Raise external awareness of our RAP

• Develop and implement a plan to engage and inform key external stakeholders of our RAP.

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Director, Communications and Regional Engagement

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RespectACTION DELIVERABLE TIMELINE RESPONSIBILITY

6. Investigate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural learning and development

• Capture data and measure our staff’s current level of knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, histories and achievements

• Conduct a review of cultural awareness training needs within our organisation

• Develop a cultural competency training framework including implementing a cultural competency training program, to increase awareness of all staff to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, histories and achievements.

May 2019 Director, Human Resources

7. Participate in and celebrate NAIDOC Week

• Raise awareness and share information amongst our staff about the meaning of NAIDOC Week, which includes information about the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities

• Introduce our staff to NAIDOC Week by promoting community events in our local area

• Encourage and support staff to attend external NAIDOC Week events

• Ensure our RAP Working Group participates in an external NAIDOC Week event.

June 2018 Director, Communications and Regional Engagement

8. Raise internal understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural protocols and awareness

• Promote Traditional Owners and their lands and waters to internal sections

• Raise awareness of the Authority’s website portal for cultural protocol information

• Include a list of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander significant dates on the website

• Conduct an annual review for information updates

• Host activities in the workplace to raise awareness of culturally significant dates (for example, National Sorry Day, Freedom Ride, Coming of the Light, MABO Day).

December 2018

June 2018 – December 2019

RAP Champion

RAP Working Group

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OpportunitiesACTION DELIVERABLE TIMELINE RESPONSIBILITY

9. Investigate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander supplier diversity

• Investigate opportunities to become a member of Supply Nation

• Promote the understanding with staff making procurement decisions of the Commonwealth’s intent to maximise procurement activities through Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suppliers

• Enhance procurement opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander owned businesses through education/awareness of staff making procurement decisions on behalf of the Authority.

April 2019 Director, Finance

10. Investigate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment and training

• Identify current Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff to inform future employment and development opportunities

• Review, develop, and implement an employment strategy to enhance Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment within the Marine Park Authority.

February 2019

Director, Human Resources

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Tracking and progressACTION DELIVERABLE TIMELINE RESPONSIBILITY

11. Build support for the RAP

• Define resources needed for RAP development and implementation

• Define systems and capability needs to track, measure and report on RAP activities

• Complete the annual RAP Impact Measurement Questionnaire and submit to Reconciliation Australia.

July 2018 RAP Champion

12. Review and refresh RAP

• Liaise with Reconciliation Australia to develop a new RAP based on learnings, challenges and achievements

• Submit draft RAP to Reconciliation Australia for review

• Submit draft RAP to Reconciliation Australia for formal endorsement.

March 2019

RAP Champion

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‘Step of Change’ Acrylic on stretched canvas by Nicky Bidju Pryor – Bidju Designs

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‘Step of Change’The Authority commissioned this artwork as part of our commitment to implement this Reconciliation Action Plan. The artwork represents the Authority’s story in an Aboriginal way.

• The foot is shown as a group of islands which depicts the step we need to take to make change for the good of the Great Barrier Reef.

• The different blue colours in the background represent a ripple in the water. This indicates the change that will happen if we take a step now.

• The animals represent the life in and around the Reef.

• The aqua-coloured lines represent the Great Barrier Reef coming to life.

FROM THE ARTISTI am a Juru Traditional Owner and our land and sea country extends from Home Hill to Bowen. I descend from the Birri Gubba nation from Bowen on my grandfather’s side and Gunggandji nation from Yarrabah on my grandmother’s side. I spent a lot of time as a child with family line fishing, spearfishing and learning about the Great Barrier Reef. As an adult, I have been on conservation trips with family to learn more about turtles and what is being done to conserve our traditional land.

I hope my work brings about intercultural understanding for the many people that see it, therefore contributing to reconciliation.

Nicky Bidju Pryor

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Enquiries about this RAP should be directed to:

RAP Champion – Simon Banks General Manager, Reef Protection Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority

P. (07) 4750 0700